Since coronavirus vaccinations began in Chicago, 1 in 10 residents have received the first dose of the vaccine, the city’s top doctor said.
Meanwhile, Chicago’s positivity rate is the lowest it’s been since the coronavirus arrived in the city.
Here are the latest COVID headlines from around the state:
Coronavirus in Illinois: 1,922 New Cases, 42 Deaths, 77K Vaccinations Reported Saturday
Health officials in Illinois reported 1,922 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, along with 42 additional deaths and more than 77,000 doses of vaccine administered the day before, though severe weather has delayed the number of doses delivered to the state.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Saturday’s new confirmed and probable case numbers lifted the statewide total to 1,172,824 cases since the pandemic began.
The death toll now stands at 20,234, according to IDPH.
Over the last 24 hours, 73,212 tests have been administered to Illinois residents, bringing the state total to 17,547,531 since the pandemic began.
The rolling positivity rate on all tests conducted in the last seven days stands at 2.8%, health officials said. The positivity rate on individuals tested was at 3.2%.
As of Friday night, 1,551 people were in Illinois hospitals with coronavirus. Of those, 351 patients were in the ICU and 171 patients were on ventilators.
A total of 77,813 doses of coronavirus vaccine were administered in Illinois over the last 24 hours, health officials said Saturday. That lifted the statewide total number of vaccinations to 2,138,519 doses given thus far, including 278,605 administered at long-term care facilities.
A total of 2,256,975 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago, state health officials said, plus 445,200 doses allocated to the federal government’s program for long-term care facilities.
The rolling seven-day daily average of vaccinations stands at 59,190 doses per day, according to IDPH.
1 in 10 Chicagoans Have Received the First Dose of COVID Vaccine: Arwady
Since beginning coronavirus vaccinations throughout the city, 1 in 10 Chicagoans have received the first dose of the vaccine, health officials said this week.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a press conference Friday that 10% of Chicago residents have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“As more vaccine gets here, we can roll out as quickly as we can, keeping always efficiency and equity at the center of our planning,” Arwady said. “It’s the right thing to do, and it’s what helps Chicago get past COVID.”
As more residents in long-term care facilities become vaccinated from the virus, Arwady added that 1 in 4 Chicago residents over the age of 65 have received at least the first dose of the vaccine.
Read more here.
COVID-19 Positivity Rate Lowest Since Pandemic Began, Chicago’s Top Doc Says
Chicago’s coronavirus positivity rate is the lowest it’s been since the pandemic began, the city’s top doctor announced Friday.
“I’m also happy to announce today, we are at a 3.5% positivity in the city of Chicago,” Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said. “That is the lowest positivity that the city of Chicago has seen from COVID, since COVID came to Chicago.”
Arwady noted that over the summer, Chicago’s positivity rate dropped below 4%, but never to the level the city is recording as of Friday.
Chicago’s is averaging 323 new COVID-19 cases per day, Arwady said, which is down from the over 3,000 cases a day recorded at the peak of the virus. The city’s daily case count is also below the cutoff that marks a “high-risk area,” according to Chicago guidance.
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Read More: Chicago Marks Record Low Positivity Rate, Vaccine Latest – NBC Chicago